Adjusted for age and height, average male grip ranged from about 67 to 84 pounds; for women, it ranged from 54 to 62 pounds. The study is in The Lancet.

Over the next four years, 3,379 people died. After controlling for other variables, the scientists calculated that each 11-pound decrease in grip strength was associated with a 17 percent increased risk of cardiovascular death, a 7 percent increased risk of heart attack and a 9 percent increased risk of stroke. There was no association of grip strength with diabetes, pneumonia, falls or fractures, but it was a stronger predictor of all-cause death and of cardiovascular death than systolic blood pressure.

The lead author, Dr. Darryl P. Leong, an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University in Ontario, said that it was unclear if grip strength is just a marker of good health or if increasing it by training would lower cardiovascular disease risk.

But, he added, “As physicians, we recommend exercising most days a week, and this sort of study says we should be including resistance training as part of it.”

A version of this article appears in print on 05/19/2015, on page D6 of the NewYork edition with the headline: Aging: A Strong Grip Is a Good Sign.